CHAMBER CHAT - Week of July 6
Happy Canada Day!
Susan Walsh, Special Events Coordinator for us, has had to be pretty creative with events this year. The Canada Day Drive-by Procession was the alternate approach to the amazing day she had planned for Zwick's Park - but it was so gratifying to see the public response to this gesture and made it so worthwhile. More on the Community Heroes dedication that followed the procession below... or check out the videos/photos at www.bellevillecanadaday.com
We are also pretty excited for this weekend's approach to the Multicultural Food Village, everyone's favourite feature of the Belleville Waterfront Festival.

will celebrate foods from around the world -
pick up your passport this week at the Cabin
download it here

AND RSVP if you know when/where you're going!
(This helps our country hosts plan for anticipated guests).
The CEBA loan is now open for applications from sole proprietors if you bank with one of the 6 major lending institutions. You will be required to apply under the Non-Deferrable Expenses Stream : for businesses with total employment income paid to employees in 2019 of $20,000 or less and 2020 Eligible Non-Deferrable Expenses (subject to adjustments for support or subsidies under other Government of Canada COVID response programs) greater than $40,000 and less than $1,500,000.

QUICK NOTE:
Starter Company Plus Grant –
applications close on July 10.  
on eligibility, criteria, and guide to the application.
FREE HOTLINE for financial help
included in Financial Support section link https://bellevillechamber.ca/financial-support-during-covid-19.php
The Business Resilience Service (BRS) allows you to connect with experienced business advisors from across Canada for guidance on which government relief programs will be most appropriate to support your small- to medium-sized business, not-for-profit or charity on how to respond and reshape amid uncertainty.

The program, delivered to your organization free of charge, provides:
  • Guidance on COVID-19 financial support program options and eligibility
  • Direction on accessing the most appropriate support organizations
  • Help to make decisions to support recovery plans
  • Real time insights and feedback to policymakers
To access the BRS call 1-866-989-1080 to connect with a business advisor from the accounting profession.
The service is available 7 days/week:
  • Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET
  • Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
  • Sundays: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET
UPCOMING WEBINARS
THIS WEEK

Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Desjardins
Tuesday, July 7
1:00 p.m.
Brave New World ~ Navigating The Crisis and its Aftermath
Discussion will include:  “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste”: the potential for a better society in the wake of COVID-19

Peninsula Canada Employment Services  
Tuesdays & Thursdays
Protect your business, its future and back to business
The ever changing restrictions and rules can make this time stressful for a business owner, but it is our goal to help you operate with ease as Canada reopens.

Register for our webinars to receive the latest updates, best practice tips and answers to any pressing questions you have.
Held online every Tuesday and Thursday, our experts discuss:
  • Updating health & safety, HR policies and procedures
  • Hiring, recalling and dismissal of employees
  • Refusal return to work
  • OHS considerations
  • Effective and safe re-open steps
A must watch for every employer!
Register with this code:   BELL001


RECORDED WEBINARS

Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Facebook
Facebook’s Summer Of Support
Facebook has launched a free six-week initiative called Summer of Support, designed to help business owners get the digital skills and information needed to navigate these challenging times. The program will feature a mix of content including free online training and live sessions. Each week will focus on a different theme and highlight different speakers, like basketball legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson, as well as Chairman of O'Shares Investments and television personality Kevin O’Leary.

The Small Business Centre is offering a variety of free workshops and webinars to assist business in moving forward. Check their  calendar for a list of upcoming events .

Loyalist College Training & Knowledge center is offering a series of  free employment and small business webinars  to help plan for the future.
YOUR OPINION MATTERS

StatsCan continues to monitor and respond to the needs of Canadians for reliable statistics and are gradually bringing back other surveys. To find out which surveys are being conducted, please refer to the 

Over the past few months, many of our members have continued operations as essential in extremely challenging circumstances.
We asked our community to share how they've helped.
At our Canada Day celebration,
MP Neil Ellis, MPP Todd Smith & Mayor Mitch Panciuk
acknowledged these essential workers and their
contributions and commitment during the pandemic.

We'll be featuring them here for the next few weeks.
DENTISTRY BY THE BAY
Dentistry by the Bay explained “we are extremely proud of the strides we have made in not only our community, but all the surrounding areas from Ottawa all the way to Brampton/Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic affected everyone in this world and persevering the chaos and uncertainty we were able to accomplish the following”: 
  • Keep our doors OPEN
  • Had a team of volunteer workers who stepped up and worked the front lines since day 1
  • Source out, and invest in PPE to keep our staff and patients safe (professionally fitted N95's, gowns, surgical caps, gloves, face shields, etc)
  • Go above and beyond the set guidelines for health and safety by undergoing construction of the office to seal each room, installed HEPA filters in all ORs, installed plexiglass around reception, continued staff and patient education to be aware of the latest and highest standard of infection control via HR downloads and Public Health Ontario's online modules and continuing with our IPAC systems
  • Put in place an after hours team to triage and answer patient calls from 9am to midnight EVERY day of the week to accommodate the amount of patients who were calling us in pain and scared because their own dentists have closed down and wouldn't return their calls or instruct them on what to do (which resulted in clogging up BGH's already overwhelmed emergency department)
  • Provide reliable and safe dental service to hundreds of people who were in need, whether they were patients or not
In case you missed it... we are developing the "Meet our Members" directory of stories - find those we've done here

Want to be our next feature? Contact Lisa to tell your story!
THE LOG CABIN IS NOW OPEN
Summer Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30 - 6:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday 10:00 - 4:00
Thanks to Moira Glass for the plexiglass, Brafasco for the fasteners and
Peter Kempenaar for his assistance with the installation
Belleville Chamber of Commerce | www.bellevillechamber.ca